Damning evidence about the damning evidence about the gunman caught on video during the Las Vegas shooting.

Did a second gunman posing as a police officer fire into the crowd at the Vegas shooting? A video circulating the internet’s darkest and smelliest corners is being used to make that very claim. Is it true? The simple answer is: NO, IT’S NOT TRUE.

Now sit down, pay attention, and stop reading that alien bigfoot conspiracy clickbait crap (and if that line offended you, move along, basement dweller because I’m about to deal some straight up facts — your kind doesn’t do so well with facts). Here’s the damning evidence – and by damning, I mean damning to the idiotic and pathetic rumor mill that is perverting and tarnishing the heroics of law enforcement officer.

First of all (and the primary indication anyone making the claim about conspiracy is full of excrement) this “security guard” was a Metro Cop not a security guard. Look at the uniform. That’s Metro through and through. I lived in Vegas. I have many friends who are Metro Cops. I’ve hung out with them. I’ve hugged some at times while they were wearing their uniform. I’ve even been stopped in traffic by some. So, take it from me, or if you’d prefer, any photo you’ll find when you search “Las Vegas Metro police uniform”, this is a Metro Cop. If you’re an out-of-towner you may not know, but anyone in Vegas is very familiar with the signature tan of the Vegas uniform. So this is no random, mysterious “security guard”. If the story is claiming it’s a security guard, you have immediate and damning evidence that whoever wrote the the story is wrong on even the most obvious and basic part of the story and probably just trying to gin up clicks or conspiracy to help support his Pokemon addiction.

Hey, look! The security guard dresses just like the cops do! What a coincidence!

Second, there are claims of “muzzle flash” coming from the “security guard’s” gun. What’s interesting is somehow this muzzle flash was going on throughout the video, in people’s faces that weren’t getting shot, and most of the time without the sound of gunfire. That’s some amazing muzzle flash! That’s because it isn’t muzzle flash, it’s either venue lighting or flashlights.

Muzzle flash without gunfire? It’s magic!

Third, the position the “security guard” (just want to remind you how off base this whole claim is) takes when drawing his weapon isn’t an aggressive position, it’s a defensive one. Notice he goes to a low crouch. If you haven’t trained in gunfighting, let me give you some insight that the spook sites won’t. When advancing on a target, you don’t crouch. It doesn’t work. You don’t shoot from a crouching position when you have the advantage because you can’t advance effectively from this position. Watch a video of SWAT or soldiers breaching doors. They don’t attack from a low crouched position; they go in upright and ready to move. Why? Because you can’t move quickly in low crouch, and if “attaining targets” is your motive, you want the advantage of action. Not to mention, this officer is using a handgun. When using a handgun, your accuracy is better when you have a solid base below you. Crouching and shrinking ruins all your body’s best foundation points, effectively making it harder to shoot accurately. Again, if you’re in a shooting gallery with a handgun, you do it on your feet or you go home without the big pink stuffed elephant. However, the low crouch is an ideal position to take when you’re either under fire or under threat of fire, but want to return defensive fire because it minimizes you as a target — it makes you harder to hit. If this were “a conspiracy” with multiple shooters, this guy would be walking upright toward the “targets”, not hiding from them. If you’ve never trained in defensive and offensive use of a weapon, ask any good cop or recent war veteran because they’ll tell you this is really the most damning evidence against the conspiracy theory. This guy’s posture is a guy who is trying to confront something he can’t see, but is scared to death he’s about to die doing it.

Crouching? Gee, it’s almost like he’s afraid for his life!

Fourth, the gunfire that breaks out is automatic fire. If you have a compact handgun with automatic fire like that, I’d love to see it. Post a video of you at the range shooting it with rounds brat-brat-bratting off like that. Even an uzi doesn’t shoot like that. Metro officers carry 9mm, 40 cal or 45 cal handguns. They don’t shoot like that — they don’t shot anything like that. And even if they did, the sound would be significantly louder in the video from that distance. The sounds you’re hearing are the automatic fire coming from the 32nd floor of the hotel, not a police officer’s handgun.

Fifth, the cop doesn’t even get to full firing extension before The World’s Most Magical Repeating and Rotating Muzzle Flash and when the sound of gun fire breaks out, he reacts in fear or defense. When you’re shooting offensively, you don’t recoil from the sound. You expect the sound so there’s no reaction.

Now imagine you’re that cop who just rushed into absolute chaos to confront an armed madman you can’t see, while people all around you are running every direction, falling dead from gunfire. Then imagine someone catches you on video during the insanity, you pull you weapon maybe thinking you saw a gunman, then after getting shot at, retreating while looking around for anything you can either help with or evade for your own safety, AND THEN a bunch of armchair quarterbacks desperate to be “in the know” start spreading UNSUPPORTED rumors that you’re the new Man On The Grassy Knoll, effectively turning you into a villain instead of the hero that you are. Imagine dealing with the trauma of the aftermath, but then also getting mocked from the illiterate peanut gallery too bored to do anything else but tell ghost stories about a blurry video recorded in the middle of an unexpected war zone.

STOP SLANDERING THIS GUY. HE IS A HERO. He ran in where everywhere was running out. He’s a hero doing his job to protect people in a moment where everyone else was just trying to escape.

While we’re at it, STOP LISTENING TO THE CONSPIRACY THEORIES. Sure, they’re titillating, but if you made it this far through an article you’re smarter than that. Don’t spread this nonsense and tell your friends to quit spreading this nonsense.

Finally, thank you, Metro. Thank you for running into gunfire to save people you didn’t know. Thank you for finding the turd gunman and ending his evil spree. And thank you for being patient in the face of an internet with an overactive imagination. Thank you.